The Paris Olympics starts on July 26, and the eyes of the world will be on France’s capital for the opening ceremony, until Aug 11.
Malaysians hope one of their 26 athletes competing in Paris can bring home the elusive gold medal. Tan Rouxin will compete in the 100m breaststroke, while Khiew Hoe Yean is taking part in the 400m freestyle. Both swimmers are making their debut on wild card tickets granted by World Aquatics.
One person who knows about gold medals is former swimming prodigy Tania Bugo, who won a record 13 of them at the 1990 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuching, Sarawak, as a 14-year-old.
Tania, however, gave up competitive swimming a year later, broken by the over-training in an era where sports science was unheard of in Malaysia.
Although selected for the 1989 SEA Games, Tania dropped out as she felt she was too young. However, she has some advice for athletes who want to don the national colours.
“Any athlete who dreams of representing Malaysia has to go all out – not skipping training, doing what is required, and always putting the team first,” said Tania, who dreamt of being a banker before running a kindergarten for 19 years after completing her studies.
“Once you commit to the national team, that should be the priority. If you can’t take it, there are always social sports.
“I don’t like to hear athletes complaining about how tough training can be. To be an elite athlete, you must do the work.”
Tania is philosophical about giving up a sport that made her famous – Sarawakians and other Malaysians still talk about her Sukma exploits as if they happened yesterday, and not 34 years ago.
“Even though I won many gold medals in 1990, I was always filled with self-doubt,” she said.
“I never had regrets quitting at such a young age, but I know if I had continued, I would have gone all out.”
Tania added that swimmers or other athletes have specialised events these days – they will not be swimming 13 events at one meet.
“The 13 events were tough, as I had heats to go through. It was not just 13 finals,” said the now 48-year-old mother of two.
“Modern athletes have a handful of events to concentrate on. They have time to regroup, refocus, and give their all in training and competition, as sports science plays a big part in the recuperating period.
“That is why I believe that if one commits to the national team, they have no reason to complain about the training.”
These days, Tania leads a peaceful life with her husband, Nicholas Law, and daughters 14 and 18, in Sematan, a small town in the Lundu district of Sarawak.
But even there, her fame has seen many families requesting that she teach their children how to swim.
“Surprisingly, although Sematan is a coastal town, many people don’t know how to swim. I find that Sarawakians who live near rivers, are better swimmers,” said Tania, who has so far resisted the urge to become a coach.
“I don’t plan to coach professionally, as I have many things on my plate. However, I might consider teaching kids to swim, as water safety is important.
“But before I do that, I must earn the proper certifications and licences.”
